Flood Alert Issued for River Cherwell from Charwelton to Upper Heyford
This alert is no longer in effect.
Environment Agency issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
Areazine synthesizes this Environment Agency flood warning directly from Environment Agency's official public data feed. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert for the River Cherwell and surrounding brooks across Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and West Northamptonshire due to rising water levels.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Flood Alert
- Affected area
- Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and West Northamptonshire
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- Environment Agency
Flood notices turn on location and timing. Treat the named area as this record's scope; do not assume nearby counties, parishes, or waterways were included.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and West Northamptonshire.
Alert Details
The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert (Severity Level 3) for the River Cherwell and its tributaries. The alert was officially raised at 12:15 PM on February 17, 2026, in response to high river levels that may lead to flooding.
Affected Areas
The alert covers the River Cherwell from Charwelton to just above Upper Heyford. The geographic scope includes parts of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, and West Northamptonshire. Specific waterways affected include:
- River Cherwell and Highfurlong Brook
- Ashby, Culworth, Hanwell, and Chacombe Brooks
- Marston, Thenford, Farthinghoe, and Charlton Brooks
- River Swere and Deddington Brook
Flooding of low-lying land and roads is specifically expected in the Banbury area.
What You Should Do
Residents in the warning zone are advised to take the following actions:
- Take care and avoid walking, cycling, or driving through flood water.
- Monitor current conditions by visiting River Levels Online for updates.
- Stay prepared as river levels remain sensitive to further rainfall over the coming days.
Expected Conditions
High river levels are currently impacting the region. While the forecast for the remainder of today and overnight is predominantly dry, further rain is expected tomorrow. This additional precipitation is likely to keep river levels high and potentially cause further flooding of low-lying areas and roads.
Timeline
The alert is effective as of February 17, 2026. While conditions are expected to be dry overnight, the threat remains through the following day as more rain arrives. The Environment Agency will provide an update on the situation by 12:00 PM on February 18, 2026, or sooner if the situation changes.
Original source: Environment Agency Official Notice ↗
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